


Keet'ka

by problematicorca



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Blood and Gore, Body Horror, M/M, Psychological Horror, Shirohige Kaizoku-dan | Whitebeard Pirates, Wendigo Psychosis, Will Add Tags As They Become Relevant, dead Thatch once more, horror themes all over tbh, orca spirit, tlingit!Ace, you can all take my Jewish Sabo hc and you will like it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-09-12 12:53:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16873266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/problematicorca/pseuds/problematicorca
Summary: “By now, I am sure you have heard the rumors going around town about the atrocities my son has committed. Theft and violence are not the way of my family, or my son especially. He is a fine gentleman in the making. I have heard what our friends say, what awful thing has taken hold of my son. For years, he would sneak away, despite our best efforts to keep him safe. What called out to him, just beyond the security of our home, has gotten inside him and turned him on his own kind. I know it sounds crazy, but you must believe me when I tell you: My dear Sabo has been taken by wolves. I will not ask for much, but just one thing: Find the one that took him, and kill it. Kill It. Kill the monster that tainted my poor son.”





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> When I first posted a one-shot with a similar title, it was quickly written & posted out of excitement to share a universe I had newly created. Now, I have put so much love, effort, time, and care into fleshing out this universe that continuing to keep the original posted would be a disservice, as the whole thing has gone through such immense changes since. I hope you all enjoy what I have created. Please post comments & leave kudos! If you think this is political, you're absolutely right.

_“By now, I am sure you have heard the rumors going around town about the atrocities my son has committed. Theft and violence are not the way of my family, or my son especially. He is a fine gentleman in the making. I have heard what our friends say, what awful thing has taken hold of my son. For years, he would sneak away, despite our best efforts to keep him safe. What called out to him, just beyond the security of our home, has gotten inside him and turned him on his own kind. I know it sounds crazy, but you must believe me when I tell you: My dear Sabo has been taken by wolves. I will not ask for much, but just one thing: Find the one that took him, and kill it. Kill It. Kill the monster that tainted my poor son.”_

“Magic” was a ludicrous idea.  
After the World Government began their conquest, they took extra care in exterminating the vermin that the now conquered peoples called their gods, their greater spirits– anyone with magical abilities or connections to it. To conquer a nation, you must have the hearts of the people at your feet, & that is what the World Government thought they had succeeded in. _But, not entirely._  As the carnage continued through the years, those that remained grew craftier. They could hide among men, blending in with the ever changing (ever  _dying_ ) world around them, taking on human forms and keeping their magic to a minimum. Some turned malicious– hauntings, local legends of monsters that were whispered on the mouths of children and brushed off by most adults, games played that summoned powerful beings thought only to be a myth. They refused to disappear, refused to be  _choked out_  by the world around them. 

Outlook could never get Sabo to focus on his studies. Of course the only damn books he kept his nose in were fairy tales and the like. He truly believed in some brighter world around them,  _believed_  these creatures were real. He started to sneak away from the false security his parents and all their money offered (a prison, nothing more). Where he went was beyond them, and as the years passed? Sabo grew smarter in how to evade them,  _escape_  them. He earned a name for himself, which mortified his parents. They were “fine, upstanding” people with a reputation to uphold. How could their son turn into a delinquent? But with the rumors of his poor behavior came the whisperings in the supper clubs & social gatherings of just  _what_  company their son had found himself in. 

It could work to their favor. Their reputation was saved, if only they could piece together the perfect story– the story of their innocent son ripped away by the creatures of the night.

Ace has never had an easy life. Not human, he found no love from the locals. They would stick their noses up at him, sometimes resort to violence if he dared linger too long in their presence. They  _knew_  just  _What_  he was, even if he could blend in among them, walk among them, even talk and act like them. He was  _not_  one of them. He was one of  _Them,_  but not entirely either. Stuck in between, with both sides unwilling to claim him, left him to a lonely existence where he must fend for himself. The group of bandits he found himself in the care of were never the most loving, but they would still come through for him if he needed them. More often than not though, Ace was on his own. He had learned from an early age that he could not  _Trust_  those around him, would find no  _love_  from anyone around him either.

Until he met Sabo– curious and desperate. Someone who accepted him for who he was, adored him for it even. It could be argued that the boy was smitten on sight, but too young to fully realize it. As the years went by though, he came to accept that it was his reality– to fall in love with the hybrid he met, his only proof of a better world than the one his family had thrust upon him, his truth that he could have something better if he just fought for it.

If not for Sabo, who knows what malicious attitude would have been wrought upon him. The blonde had saved him from himself, made Ace want to  _be_ better,  _do_  better. 

The first time he really  _showed himself_  to Sabo was in their early years. On land, he would take the form of a large, black wolf. In water, he would take on that of a speckled killer whale. Seeing him in either shift was a rare occasion that Sabo treasured, especially given that Ace reserved such special moments for Sabo’s company exclusively. Or– he tried to, at least. Sometimes, he would lose control in his anger towards the rest of the world. Sometimes, he would just  _snap._  As he grew older, his own magic became easier to control. He found favor with the manipulation and creation of fire– an ability he could share with Sabo. The closer they grew to each other, the more the world around them would  _Talk._

* * *

 

The smell of fire and burning wood roused a young Sabo from his sleep. He could hear the faint sounds of a crowd somewhere far away, drowned by the crackling of flames that did not immediately terrify him. What did he have to fear from fire, when he knew the boy next to him was an avid user of flame-related magic that had enamored the blonde boy from the moment he laid eyes on him? A gentle smile pulled back on his lips as he hummed his approval, assuming the smell came from his dear friend. “Ace,” he purred in a sleep-ridden tone, cracking his eyes open to reveal that he had thought wrong. He could see the boy he adored, rigid and wide-eyed like a deer caught in headlights. Brownish red eyes were locked on ahead, but the fright alone had Sabo pushing himself up to his feet and rushing to his companion’s side. “What is it?” He dared to ask, his little heart beating so fast all of a sudden. “What’s wrong?”

He was not so ignorant to miss what had transpired around him, up until this point. He had seen _the looks_ given to both boys, but had only ever brushed it off for the fact that they were both children just trying to live from day-to-day, stealing and robbing where they must. Notoriety brought with it its own consequences, as they were both realizing now. Peering through the rising smoke that polluted the open windows of their treehouse, Sabo could see the mob that had formed down below, which had paralyzed Ace temporarily with fear. “They know….” The blonde boy whips around quickly when he hears his companion speak in a wavering tone of uncertainty. With his brow drawn tightly together, it was clear that Sabo had not yet pieced together the meaning behind such ominous clarity from the other boy. Thus, terrified brown eyes turned to Sabo with conviction and terror: “They know who I am.”

“I see him!” Outlook’s booming voice from down below shook Sabo to his core. The blonde boy now shared Ace’s sense of dread as what felt like a chunk of ice dropped into the pit of his stomach. _They had come for him_. “That beast has my son! We’ll free him! Either by force, or fire!” His own insistence to clear his family name and ensure his heir was free of magical influence drove him to such extremes. Outlook never stopped to think about the possibility of Sabo also perishing in the flames, or suffocating in the smoke. Perhaps he did consider these outcomes for all of a minute before deciding that, in Sabo’s untimely death, it would rid him of this shame the boy had wrought upon them. He could paint the incident as a tragedy-- a human boy dragged down by the influence of a monster. Surely, it would bring his family sympathy and the people around them would quickly forget what a terror the young boy had become in his own right.

Sabo’s flight instincts kicked in quickly as he turned to Ace, shoving the other boy in the hopes of shaking him out of his terror. “The zipline!” He exclaims, pointing to their only hope of escape with shaking hands and desperation wracking his small body.

The sudden disappearance of the boy from their view has the crowd below rowdier than ever.  _“Kill him!!”_ The voices of the mob ring out like a haunting symphony that only serve to spur Sabo further. Outlook had brought the whole town with him on this escapade, wanting to make their escape as impossible and improbable as he could. Sabo would return to him in chains, or in a body bag. Either way, Outlook would get what he wanted. 

Ace shook off his panic with ease, too much ease for an eleven year old boy, and nodded in agreement. “We have to be fast,” he added as he moved towards the end of the rope and took hold of the handle dangling off. He offered it to Sabo first, urging the boy forward, following soon after. He would reach the ground before Sabo, dropping down as the mob below tried to anticipate where the boys would land in the hopes of surrounding them.

Black paws kicked up dust and fire alike almost immediately. Ace made up his mind: He was not going to die here, and he would not let them take Sabo back either.

Despite this, the smoke from the fire raging below their treehouse was burning his nose and messing with his sense of smell. His eyes stung, watering, and his throat burned from heavy inhalation. He was compromised, they both were, but he would push on as Sabo came to his side and wrapped his small arms around a furry neck. "We have to run!" The blonde was full of good ideas tonight, if only because he knew that it was not in Ace's nature to turn away from a fight. However, he also knew that if his dear friend stood his ground, it might be the last time he ever did. "Come on, Ace! Don't let them get me!" 

_"Shoot the demon wolf!"_  The wall of fire could only protect them from so much, unfortunately. Outlook would not allow them to escape so easily either. _"He'll come back and take your children too!"_

Despite this, Sabo still felt the need to speak up in his defense, pleading to an audience that did not care to hear what he had to say: "I'm not bewitched!" He shouted over the roar of Ace's fire now, his voice drowned in the noise of the mob and the sudden slew of gunfire upon them. Bullets riddled the ground, forcing Ace back. He still used his body to shield the blonde, but he was finally moving like Sabo wanted. "Ace...! Ace, the lake! We have to get to the lake!"

Every instinct screamed at him not to run away, to stay and fight the whole world if he had to. For such a small child, so much anger and hatred had already manifested itself within him. He  _would_ fight the mob, the town, the Government,  _everyone_ for their transgressions. However, no one cares for the anger of one little brown boy. No one cares for the plight of children, especially when the rich and powerful have already formed their own opinions on matters they know nothing about. The world itself was rotting under the exchange of money and the drive of greed and fortune, crying out as she died and screaming to deaf ears. Ace sinks his claws into the ground as one last show of defiance before he turns and makes a run for it. Staying as he was would have benefited him more in his escape, finding himself faster and more agile with four legs rather than two, but he still felt it imperative to change to his human form and grab Sabo's hand. As long as they were together, no one could rip them apart.

They were stronger together, did everything right together. 

He could see the water's edge fast approaching and felt a song of hope start to blossom in his chest--- right before it was cut down by a well aimed bullet sinking between his ribs and burying deep in his lung. The force made the boy stumble and cough, blood splattering his lower lip and painting his shirt red around the entry wound. His sudden pause jerked Sabo back and made his eyes wild with horror.  _They really shot him!_ "Ace!" He tugged on his companion, trying to urge an injured child to do what he no longer could: _move._ He was trying to keep himself together, keep himself from going into shock and failing miserably. Seeing this, Sabo acted quickly and pulled Ace on his back to carry him along. He could feel warm, fresh blood seeping through his clothes along his side and shoulder, making his breath quicken as he verged on the border of a panic attack. 

Almost there. _Almost there!_  Sabo was right at the edge of the water, when---

One of their pursuers was able to close in, as the added weight of a body made Sabo slower. His fingers wrapped around the boy's wrist, jerking him to the side roughly. Ace fell hard, crying out as Sabo dropped him from the sudden capture. The blonde boy turned and sunk his teeth into the arm of his captor, likely proving Outlook right in his lies of some influence tainting Sabo. But Ace would not let them go far, and a pair of tiny tail flukes whipped upward as Ace took to his animal form again- an orca this time- and struck back in his desperation. There was a loud cracking sound as the man's neck broke, and he fell to the ground while both boys were able to make it to the lake. 

Gunfire did not cease here, but it seemed like the mob was more hesitant to continue the chase in the lake as Sabo clung on to a small dorsal fin and Ace carried them across to the dense woodland which awaited them on the other side. 

As they carried themselves to shore, clothes soaked and bodies shivering, both were much too panicked to realize how quiet things were here. Sabo's focus was strictly on Ace, watching him as he pushed himself up out of the water in the form of a human boy again. He stumbled, and the blonde was right there to catch him before he could fall to the muddy ground below. Hopeful, or maybe consumed with denial, the blonde was shaking and forcing a smile on his face in an attempt to reassure his companion. "Come on..!" His voice was raw, sounding foreign to his own ears. "I can find someone who will help you!" But finding someone who was willing to take care of a magical being was like finding a needle in a haystack, especially around here- where his father's influence stretched far and wide. Money talked, after all. 

And Ace knew it.

He managed only a few more steps into the thick of the forest around them before he shook his head and tangled shaky fingers in black hair. "There's no one..!!" He despaired, with blood painting his lips and leaving a disgusting coppery taste on his tongue. Talking was too painful, _breathing_ was agonizing. He felt like he was drowning, and his breaths were getting all the more shallow with each passing second. He hurt so badly, much more than he ever had before. Despite this, his need to push on for Sabo's sake was still buzzing through and Ace took his companion's hand and stumbled forward again. 

The forest was old and silent around them, with the eyes of the _Jek**_  all upon them, keeping their distance and refusing to approach. Sabo watched as the blood on Ace's shirt steadily turned black, and he realized he had never seen so much of it before. It was worrying, especially in the way Ace began to carry himself. His steps were unsteady and his body swayed like that of a drunk exiting the bar at some ungodly hour of the morning. No stench of alcohol hung on the younger boy in front of him as they trekked on in hopeless abandon, until Ace paused again. It was easy for a boy's mind to wander in the silence around them, but Ace dared to ask: "Was this--" His shoulders tensed, and it felt impossible to speak all of a sudden. "Was this a good idea?" He remembered everything Dadan had told him, every drunken rant the bandit ever went on when she thought he was out of earshot as well. "They're gonna... they're gonna hunt you now!" 

But Sabo was quick to shut down any concern Ace felt: "I don't care." He spoke true and honestly, in the hopes of sating his companion's anxieties. "It was the right thing to do." And, for a moment, it seemed his answer satisfied young Ace...

Until: "You can never go back there..." His voice was all but a whisper, but the heaviness of his tone was damning all on its own. 

Before he could say anything else, Sabo pried his hand away and stomped in front of his friend. "Good!" He sounded so sure of himself, so  _angry_ at the mob that still hung as a thread over their heads. How could something so large fall so silent all of a sudden? "I hated that shitty place anyway! Why would I wanna go back!? It stunk of rotten people!" He waited, expectantly, for Ace to protest more, and could see the uncertainty written across that endearing freckled face he had come to love. However, nothing else was uttered, and as the seconds passed, Sabo's attention returned to the grave wound on Ace's side. They had to do something about it. Blue eyes fluttered over their surroundings, but found nothing that could serve to help them. "Let me wrap it with my scarf..!" He suggested, already tugging the fabric off of his neck. 

He pulls Ace along, stopping by a dead and hollowed out tree that would offer a safe hideaway from their pursuers should they come upon them again. By now, Ace had paled significantly with a glaze forming over his reddish brown eyes. The freckled boy dropped down with a shake of his head, leaning back against the trunk of the tree and looking more defeated than Sabo had ever seen him before. "I don't think that's gonna work..." he mumbled, his words starting to slur as he tilted his head back. 

He needs to sleep, to relax, to calm the steady beating of his heart. He tenses with the sudden whispering of voices up above, and both boys direct their gaze upward to see glowing eyes shining from the hollowed areas of the tree. One of them snapped at them first, proudly claiming: _"Get lost! We don't like humans! You kill our forests and poison our mother! Go away!"_

Indignantly, Sabo straightens his posture and puffs out his chest. He could tell that Ace was going down fast, but he could still fight if he needed to. "I'm trying!" He attempts to reason with the little spirits first, balling his hands into fists and trying to protect himself as the smaller spirits retaliate by throwing acorns at both him and Ace. "Stop it!" Sabo spat, damn near bristling in their wake. "My friend is hurt-! I can't leave him--"

__ "He's dying!"   
"And you're going to bring a bad thing here if you stay! Leave!"  
"Leave now!"  The little spirits would not hear a human boy out. What reason should they, seeing the destruction that his kind has brought to their world? 

Sabo turns back to Ace, trying to ignore the acorns being flung at him. "I can carry you-" He starts, only to cut off quickly as Ace suddenly falls to his side and leaves a smear of blood along the tree. He hits the ground hard, not even bothering to pick himself up again. "Ace!!" Sabo's voice raises in panic. "Ace, come on! You can't die here!! You can't!" 

_ "Take him away!!"  
"It's too late! The bad thing is coming!" _

Sabo would never forget what came next.

The shadows around him began to tremble on their own, stretching away from him to collect and form into the figure of a large beast. White and glowing eyes, sharp tipped ears, canine figure-- how could Sabo fear something he had spent so much time around? Despite this, he positioned himself between the greater spirit and Ace. Any hostility he might have harbored before was soon washed away in the presence of the beast that only served to confirm everything the boy had come to know about this world: That he genuinely knew nothing about it, that there was so much more out there that his father would rather keep him hidden away from, and that he would have to fight for his freedom if he truly wanted it. 

Small hands shoved into his pockets, rummaging around for anything and everything he could offer to the death spirit before him. There were stories of a great wolf that would find you should you lose your way in the woods. Often, the tale ended in death for the lost traveler, but Sabo knew there was so much more than what would be recorded in the fairy tale books of children. Even so young, he could recognize that much. With fifteen cents, a paper clip, string, and an acorn, he held the items up in his hand and breathed his plea:

“Save him. Please.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are a lot of moving pieces getting set up in this chapter as I start diving into the plot now. Last chapter was just a prologue after all & I appreciate all of you for sticking with me. I'm sure there are going to be a lot of questions too, but I promise they'll get answered as I continue updating ❤ If you enjoy what I do, please comment & leave kudos!

\--10 Years Later--

The early hours of the morning roused him from his slumber. He had fallen asleep on the couch with his laptop closed and nestled between his body and the cushions. The TV was still on, a dull drone of news reports as background noise that faded into the ambiance of an empty house. Ace was away at work, and had been since the day before, leaving Sabo with too much freetime on his hands and plenty of college essays demanding his immediate attention. Two dalmatian dogs rushed up to greet up, their tails wagging and bodies wiggling in excitement now that he was awake. With whines and persistent face nuzzling, they begged to be let outside. Sabo picked himself up, stretching his arms over his head with a pleased mewl and a pop of his lower back following. “Alright, alright, Pepper-- Liberty. I’m coming.” 

He let them out in the backyard first, turned on the keurig in the kitchen, and waited for his girls to return to the door. By now, he was a little more awake and actually paying attention to the sudden urgent report flashing across the television screen. His eyes widened as it all registered with him, and the mug in his hand was dropped to the floor, shattering instantly. 

_ Edward Newgate, found dead in his home. _

He knew this day would come, eventually, but it did not make the truth any more bearable to behold. He could see fire trucks outside a familiar, glittering estate and only hoped that Ace was not one of them. How awful it must be, to find their adopted father like that. Newgate had been a beacon of hope, had seemed like an unstoppable force. All things in life have a season, and his time had finally come to an end.

Sabo was still cleaning up the broken glass when he heard the front door open. His fingers were trembling in shock, but when he looks up to see the defeated expression painted across the face of his lover, his heart shatters all over again. “Ace…” His voice wavers in uncertainty, and he dumps the shards of broken glass in the trashcan nearby before hurrying over to greet the firefighter. With Pepper and Liberty still outside, he can worry about the glass after. Now, he throws his arms around Ace and pulls him in a tight hug. “I just saw the news. Are you-- I mean… Were you…?” He can hardly find it in him to get the words out this time, choking back on the implications. Ace’s expression alone speaks volumes, but he has to be sure. 

Then he speaks: “Yeah… I was there.”

Sabo can feel the cold grip of dread twisting at his stomach. The last thing he wanted was for Ace to bear witness to the dead body of his father, but the universe would always spare time for cruelty. 

It was only eight years ago, when Sabo and Ace found refuge in the home of Edward Newgate. He was a rich and powerful old man with supposedly no children of his own. He filled his large estate with unwanted children and other magical beings that had nowhere else to go, creating a sanctuary and a family that he treasured dearly. His sudden death was just added pain to the sudden disappearance of Thatch recently, among others in the family. Everyone was on edge since, and Ace was especially keen on finding out just who was targeting his family. What was the point of working for the public if he couldn’t even help the ones he loved? 

Which brought Sabo to his next inquiry: “Do you think… someone did it?” Foul play Sabo was not above ruling that out. 

A grimace painted across Ace’s lips, and he found his way to the couch as the weight of the world bore down upon him. With a sigh of resignation and obvious chagrin, Ace nodded. “I’ll bet it’s the same asshole who got to Thatch.” His fists clenched at his sides then, his jaw tightening as he grit his teeth in frustration. “Whoever it is… I’ll kill him.” Hatred burned within him like an unmanageable wildfire, raging over anything and everything in its path. “As soon as I find out who he is… I’ll hunt him down to the ends of the Earth.”

The essays could wait. Sabo knew his professor, Dragon, was all too understanding in these hard times. Ace had the next few days off in light of the sudden death in the family. Time to grieve was often spent trying to solve what seemed like an impossible mystery of  _ Who Done It _ . He was forced to wait until the formal investigation was closed, labeling the cause of death to be  _ Natural Causes _ . But Ace could not swallow that down. Even in the face of deteriorating health over the last few years, Newgate had shown how much of a fighter he was to just suddenly succumb to his illness. If nothing else, Marco would have shown signs about the End creeping up on him. 

No, something terrible had happened, and Ace had no doubts that it was the work of some nasty spirit. 

The dry summer heat had cooled to more bearable temperatures in the darkening light of sunset. The estate was quiet and abandoned in the wake of the old man’s death. Without their father figure around, or rather… without Newgate there to protect them, most were forced to flee from government forces who would hunt them down for their magic. Windows once full of light and life were dark and silent. As soon as Ace parked his truck out front and stepped out, he caught an unfamiliar stench hanging in the air, easily overlooked to an untrained individual. Whatever it may be, it left him apprehensive as he climbed the steps to the front door of the estate. 

Sabo skittered after, sticking close for Ace’s sake. The inside was lifeless and dull, as if it had not been touched for years. Everyone had rushed out so suddenly, hoping to avoid the public eye and evade capture by police or government officials. What remained of their safe haven had turned into a hollowed out shell of a house with too many rooms for the average person to tend. Even Sabo finds it hard to accept, staring their reality in the face. They had come here for answers though, not to dwell on the past. Ace was insistent about leading a life with no regrets. After nearly losing him so long ago, Sabo wants to lead a life without any  _ more _ regrets. 

Yet, the further in they venture, the less certain Ace becomes. “There’s something bad here,” he announces in the confines of Thatch’s kitchen. Ever since he entered the manor, Ace had felt a strong presence weighing down on him like a stronger gravitational pull. It made the hair at the back of his neck begin to stand and bristle. Something had nested in their home after the exodus of its residents. 

“Like what?” Sabo keeps his voice low to match Ace’s tone. While Ace may have concern for the presence of something malicious, Sabo was always willing to fight. He was headstrong, as most humans are, rushing in to the fray with wicked abandon that made Ace feel more like an older brother trying to reign in an unruly sibling rather than a lover. While Sabo never worried about Ace at his job (how can fire hurt someone with control of fire-based magic?), he did worry about being the cause of some terrible fate befalling the freckled man. Was it not justified, after he had been shot at the young age he had been? “You think it’s the thing behind all this?”

Reddish brown eyes flickered to blue, his gaze full of conviction. “You look for wolves where they’ve been,” he informs in an even tone, “not where they might be.” It made all the sense in the world for the spirit responsible to settle in the spoils of his conquest. And so, Ace pushed on and pressed further into the manor. The stench he had caught before grew stronger, giving Ace the chance to decipher the smell of rot and decay now heavily polluting the air. Even Sabo was affected by it, scrunching his nose and swallowing down the nausea working its way up his throat. 

“What is that?” He choked the words out, his voice echoing in the empty hallways. Before Ace could utter a word, his answer came by something big and furry bolting from one of the rooms and whipping them both into the opposite wall with a spinal cord for a tail. Ace recovered first, as magical beings are often hardier than their human counterparts, and immediately gave chase. He hauled himself up, pushing off the wall for a boost. With every corner the beast turned, Ace was just right behind it, barely turning in time to see the monster’s tail disappearing around the next. Even with his impressive speed, he could not keep up. He followed out the front door, seeing the monster run through with antlers to spearhead his way. Both doors flung open with a start, giving Ace the chance to glide through, only to find his boots crunching on ice and snow beneath him. 

The sudden change of weather outside brought him pause, especially seeing his own breath form in front of his face. The biting icy air burned his lungs and planted his feet firmly in the fresh fallen, powdery snow of the ground, and he just spotted the beast disappearing into the vast woodland which surrounded this place. His magic kept him warm, but that was of little concern to him at the moment. He took a step back, swallowing down his own apprehension. What spirits could create such a dramatic change of climate around them? Before he could think on it, he heard Sabo calling for him within the manor. Hurrying back in, he followed his lover’s voice, reliant on sound alone with the sudden stench of death now present and stronger than before. His sense of smell could not get around the rot and decay, making his stomach churn. But whatever it was Sabo had found, it left him distressed as he waited outside the door of an abandoned bedroom. He directed Ace inside, and no amount of preparation could have readied him for what he found.

Thatch’s mangled body was left in puddles of black and blood stained flooring. He was missing one of his legs, gnawed off by the beast no doubt, and his chest had been ripped open by sharp claws. Previously perfect hair was a disheveled mess, and bright brown eyes were void and lifeless, staring up at the ceiling with grim acceptance of a fate he did not deserve. “Thatch--” Ace choked on his name, feeling the anguish overtake him suddenly. No training or experience from the Fire Department would ever have prepared him for this, as he extended his hand outward and sent a spark of flame over the now dead body. All he could do was burn him now. If the news broke about this, the story would surely get buried under the lies of some wild animal attack-- and the Government would send their hound sniffing around where their noses did not belong. 

The smell of burning flesh was even more horrendous, forcing Ace to back out of the room and stand beside Sabo. “Do you know what could have done this?” The blonde immediately asked, as if Ace had some clarity that was lost to him. 

The freckled man shook his head, his heart oh so heavy and feeling like a block of ice that had dropped into his gut. “No.” His voice wavered on hopelessness, which was not a sound Sabo thought suited the tongue of his lover. 

The blonde straightened up, rolling his shoulders back. He did not yet know about the state of the weather outside, but that would come as a shock once he did. “Then, we’ll ask Dragon.” When in doubt, turn to an Indigenous elder for guidance. He knew more about the spirits and the magic of the world than anyone else Sabo had met. The least he could do was offer some suggestions on what they may be dealing with, and how Ace might be able to kill it. 

Taking their leave of the home they had grown up in, Sabo paused at the icy steps and stared at the sky in surprise. “Snow…!?” It was not even fall yet. 

“Make sure you mention that to Dragon,” Ace mumbled as he led the way to his truck. “I’m sure it’ll make a difference.”

* * *

 

As soon as they were home, Sabo went straight to work. He immediately called Dragon, pulling his laptop close and spilling what little information he knew and Ace had gathered from their investigation of the Newgate estate. His lover had disappeared to the bathroom for a well deserved shower, and the blonde made a mental note to put something on for dinner while he was in there-- a note he never got to act upon once Dragon started spouting suggestions and explanations of different malicious spirits. 

_ Too small, not furry enough, no antlers. _ He had an issue with some of the sites, having to wade through colonial bastardization and misunderstandings of many magical entities. Thirty minutes into his own investigation and he was interrupted by his lover standing at the couch. 

“Hold on--” Sabo mumbled to Dragon, tilting his cellphone away from his face as he directed his full attention to the man he so adored. “What is it?” Something was bothering him, or maybe it was all the traumatic events finally compounding. That thought was immediately pushed away when he realized… Ace was back in uniform. 

Ace turned his gaze away for a moment, idly reaching down to pat Pepper’s head as she pranced over to beg for attention. “I got called in,” he informed. “Emergency. They need me right now.”

“Right now?” Sabo sounded more appalled than anything else. How could he keep his lover away from the line of duty when the department was desperate enough to call him back from leave, though? “O-- okay…” He wanted to be selfish, wanted to protest. Instead, he put the phone down and peeled away from the couch to throw his arms around Ace in a tight and loving hug. “Stay safe, okay? Don’t do anything stupid.”

The request was quite hypocritical from the tongue of a rebellious college student who was always causing some protest or stir in the community. 

“I’ll do my best.” Ace had always been the more responsible of the two, so Sabo knew he could believe him when he said it. He watched his lover depart in a hurry, heart aching as he returned to the phone with his professor. Pepper waited by the door, as she always did, while Liberty beckoned her away. This was ritual for the dalmatian who belonged to Ace. She would sit and wait by the door for a few minutes before giving in to the demands of her sister and bounding off to wrestle in some other room of the house. In the time it took him to walk Ace out, Dragon had reached a terrifying discovery about what exactly they were dealing with. 

He urged Sabo meet him at his house instead, and the severity of his tone left little room for protest from the blonde. It would not be the first time he had visited for the sake of understanding the magical beasts around them, but it was the first time Dragon had sounded so grave on the subject. 

For once, having a mountain bike came in handy when riding through the snow. It was tough work, and Sabo felt his lungs burning when he arrived and was ushered into Dragon’s home. He panted, trying to catch his breath as Dragon led him back to his office room, and revealed what he had found:

_ A Wendigo _ . 

From the illustration, Sabo could not deny that it certainly looked like the beast that had rammed in to them, but he could not be so sure with how fast it happened. Everything else that followed… made perfect sense. “They can create blizzards,” Dragon explained. “They were originally men who resorted to cannibalism. There are… other causes, as well, but this monster fits the description.” And with this reveal, a stack of paperwork was dropped in Sabo’s arms for review. The blonde tilted his head down to immediately skim through what hidden truths the papers would reveal, only for Dragon to seize his chin in a light grip and tilt his face upward again. “Do not play around with this,” he warns. “They are incredibly power and almost impossible to kill. The more they eat, the stronger they become.” But if anyone could, Dragon would believe that Sabo may find a way. 

“I’ll be careful,” he assured, but the words felt hollow from his lips. The papers were stuffed in his backpack, and he thanked Dragon on the way out. There was too much work to do, and very little time to do it. The clock was against them, with each second wasted benefiting the wendigo beast by giving him another chance to take another unsuspecting victim. How many had he eaten so far, with the sudden disappearances within the Newgate family alone? And how many had gone unnoticed by Sabo? 

He was riding back home when fate caught up to him. 

“Excuse me.” A long and lanky figure stopped him by stepping in his path, holding a hand out as if to implore Sabo hear him out.  There was something off about him, but Sabo could not quite explain what. His pale skin matched the snow around him in a more than inhuman way, leaving Sabo with the assumption that it was obviously a spirit trying to take human form. "My name is Lafitte," the stranger introduced himself, resting his outstretched hand upon his chest now. "You are... part of the Revolution, right? You help spirits?" Before Sabo could answer, the spirit continued: "Yes, I'm sure you're the one I'm looking for." 

The blonde felt his shoulders relax with the clarity of this being a spirit, stupidly trusting him as he nodded. "Yes, we help your kind," he eagerly assured. 

"But... I'm in a hurry right now.” There was a wendigo on the loose. 

“I know  _ all about _ your problem,” the spirit insisted. “That’s why I’m here.” Sabo was more than willing to listen now, tilting his head to one side. Lafitte found wicked amusement in his naivety, inching closer to the human with snake-like fluidity. “I had a vision,” he begins as he raises his hands slowly. “I can’t describe what I saw. So… I will show you.” His hands grabbed Sabo’s head, and the world around him suddenly melted away. 

Sabo was keenly aware of the crackling fire behind him, turning to see a cabin engulfed in flames. He suddenly found himself in the woods, with an abandoned firetruck parked nearby. Red lights flashed, painting the snow in their glow that mixed with the orange of the fire. 

He stepped closer, finding the driver’s side door had been ripped open. Deep gouges were driven in the side, peeling away at metal and paint with the ease of a knife through butter. A trail of blood directed his attention to two mangled bodies in the snow, and Sabo immediately recognized them as Ace’s comrades. His breath caught in his throat as he took in more and more of his surroundings: footprints in the snow, of heavy boots and and large hooves. There were signs of a struggle, and another trail of blood leading further into the thick forest that had this cabin hidden away from the world. It could be no further than the outskirts of town, Sabo recognized it as tourist camping grounds as he followed the trail. 

The first thing he found was a fireman’s hat, with gouges along the side. His breath caught, and he followed the trail further, noting the scratches of trees and blood splatter that accompanied them. What made his heart stop were red beads he found in the snow next, Ace’s necklace busted and abandoned. Now, he could hear the signs of struggle: could hear something vicious growling and desperate breaths taken in hyperventilation. He quickened his pace with dread sinking in his gut until he came to a clearing and saw the devastation for himself. 

His dearly beloved was strewn across the snow, unable to pick himself up with the large beast pinning him down. It was all fur and antlers and claws, with an elk skull for a head and wolf’s teeth tearing through the firefighter’s abdomen. His snout disappeared within, painted red from his blood, and Ace no longer had the strength to scream anymore. His hands reached up to grab at the antlers, feebly pushing against the beast as if that would make a difference. 

Sabo felt his world crashing down around him, and he shouted in rage and agony: “Let him go!!!” He hurried forward, as fast as long legs would carry, but not fast enough. He raised his fists to attack the monster, only to suddenly run right through him. The blonde stopped on the other side, his eyes wide in panic and confusion as he gawked at his hands. Then, he whipped around again, trying once more and only serving to go right through Ace this time. 

_ Was he dead? What happened, when that spirit touched him? _

“Ace!!!” Warm tears burned against his wind-chilled face, as he was forced to watch his lover get torn into by a cannibalistic monster. The great beast, already so large and so powerful, toyed with his prey that had, for some reason, lost use of his legs in the attack. All Ace could do was grab desperately at the snow and hope to pull himself away. The monster was cruel, letting the fireman turn himself over and drag his body across the snow-- giving Sabo a view of the gashes in his back that gave view to white and red and torn muscle. 

No wonder he had lost mobility in his legs. The wendigo had ensure there was no hope for escape for Ace. And all Sabo could do was watch as the monster tortured him, biting and tearing, listening to his lover break under the assault until he was flipped over and silenced when that muzzle buried deep in his open wounds and tore his entrails from his body. 

The vision faded, returning Sabo to the world with shaky breaths and tears falling down his cheeks after witnessing the brutal death of his lover.    
Lafitte’s voice pulled him from his initial shock. “With a vision like that, I’m  _ sure _ that I have the right person.” 


	3. Chapter 3

_ Sabo sat upright with a start, his heart racing when he realized he was warm and comfortable in a bed. He looked around with short and quick breaths, eyes wide with panic until he took in his surroundings. It was not the familiar coldness of his father’s manor, but some warm and cramped house with other beds scattered in the room. In the bed across from him lay Ace, bandaged up with tubes and a breathing mask on him. He was alive, even after being shot, even after Sabo was sure he was dead. The wolf had accepted his offer.  _

_ With a sigh of relief, Sabo slipped out of the bed and grabbed the nearest chair, dragging it closer to Ace’s bedside. He climbed up in it, leaning against the covers so he could be closer to the freckled boy. “I’m right here,” he mumbles in a tired voice, one of his hands finding Ace’s, tangling their fingers together. “I’m not gonna leave you.”  _

* * *

“Ace… Answer the phone,” Sabo breathed out in a panic. His bike had been dropped in the snow, body shaking too much from the horrible images he had just seen. He immediately whipped out his phone and dialed his lover’s number, but despaired when no answer came. Ace had been called out on an emergency, so it was unlikely that he would have answered his phone anyway. However, seeing his lover get ripped into and viciously murdered had left Sabo especially desperate. “Why did you--” He was breathless and terrified. “None of that was real?”

“It will be.” Lafitte found sick delight in Sabo’s panic. “It was only a vision. I can’t imagine how  _ hard _ it must be for you… That is why I wanted to find you.” His eyes half-lidded, head tilting up with his chin jutted out as if he were balancing something upon it. “You humans have forgotten the old ways. I offer hope, and perhaps clarity. You won’t save him, but a death spirit might.” 

Sabo’s entire body froze. All at once, he hung up his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. Distant memories of a large, black wolf crept back into his mind. Through the haze of panic he had found himself in, it was hard to remember what exactly happened  _ back there _ . All he can remember was Ace dying from being shot, a large wolf spirit appearing, and then waking up in the home of some arrogant old woman who tried to act tougher than she actually was. “A death spirit…” he echoes. “How would I… How do I reach one?” He whips around on Lafitte again, his hands resting on the spirit’s shoulders. “Who am I looking for?”

The taller man brushed his hands away, standing tall and proud. “I know of a few.”  _ Of _ , but not personally knowing them does little to help Sabo’s case. “Your best bet is a coyote named Itsappe.”

“Coyote…?” Sabo remembers a kind wolf, but then… could he trust his own memories? “Itsappe. Okay.” He never had a name to the face of the canine, whatever canine it may be, that saved Ace. Perhaps he will get lucky, and find the same, kind spirit that had helped him back then. In his panic, he never stopped to question any possible ulterior motives Lafitte may have, never considered that someone who already had knowledge of the Wendigo might be tricking him. What purpose was there, to send him to a greater spirit? It was uncommon knowledge, but still rumored, that the greater spirits would help humans who reached out to them. There were also tales of greater spirits who punished the humans for daring to waste their time with mundane problems that had been self-created by humanity’s own foolishness. It was a risk often not worth taking, as far as most humans were concerned.

On top of that, the Government had done well to smear the good names of the spirits around them, painting them as mindless killers who hoped to destroy civilization for their own gain. In consequence, most humans were more inclined to  _ reject _ spirits and magically inclined individuals. They would just as soon turn them in and collect a reward than risk ruination at the hands of something more powerful than themselves. 

“Thank you,” Sabo breathed out. Lafitte’s smile stretched from ear to ear. Already, the blonde was scrambling for his bike to hurry off. His original destination was the house, but now his sights were set on the firehouse instead. It was not far, but still much too far for Sabo’s racing thoughts and pounding heart. Every second felt like an hour passing by, driving his anxiety higher than before. His lungs burned in the sudden freezing cold, his legs shaking under the strain he was putting his body under to reach the firehouse in the quickest amount of time. 

Sabo threw his bike down when he reached his destination, nearly tripping over himself as he rushed up. “Ace! Where’s Ace!?” He’s shouted to the group of men outside, shoveling snow from the driveway. A familiar head of blue hair, a paramedic named Deuce and a childhood friend to Ace and Sabo, shot up when he noticed just how panicked Sabo actually was. 

“Sabo!” He calls the blonde over, crunching through ice and snow as he approached. “What’s wrong? What are you doing here?” 

“Ace! I gotta get to Ace!” That was not much of an explanation though. “I saw a vision! A terrible vision, he’s gonna get killed!”

Without meaning to, Deuce seemed to dismiss this concern. “Sabo…” He rests his hands on the blonde’s shoulders. “You know visions aren’t set in stone.” He could see Sabo’s eyes widening in despair. Quick to quell this before it could get out of hand, the paramedic persists: “Are you sure it was a vision?” No, bad thing to ask. “We’ll call his radio, okay?” Better. He could see Sabo nodding immediately, eager to hear Ace’s voice, hear that he was okay and not getting mauled to death by a monster in the woods. Leading him into one of the trucks, Deuce was quick to get on the radio and call for Ace. 

At first, there was nothing but static. Deuce called again, feeling dread start to creep in. Ace was quite important to Deuce-- both of them were. In their younger years, Ace had rescued him from a group of bullies and took him under his wing. It was the first time Deuce had found someone  _ Like Him _ . Just like Ace, Deuce was not human. Unlike Ace, Deuce was a full blooded spirit. He was from dolphin bloodlines, not very powerful but with a strong affinity for healing magic. His parents were indifferent to him for wanting to blend in among humans rather than hide away like they had chosen. Mingling with humans, the same monsters who were colonizing and killing the world especially, was something they stuck their rostrums up at and sneered over. Deuce couldn’t exactly blame them, but he would not have found Ace either. 

“Ace!” His voice raised in consternation. “Skull! Mihar! Anyone!?” Ace had been left immediately upon his arrival at the firehouse. Now that Deuce thinks, it should _not_ have taken them this long. However, with the sudden spike in calls the day had taken, someone might think the sky was falling. He still should have returned between calls, if he had taken another right after. No, something was wrong. Something had definitely gone wrong. 

“What’s wrong?” Sabo felt his throat closing in dread. “Is he not-- He’s not answering?” Vivid images of his lover’s dead body flashed through his mind. Red snow, busted glass beads, a gouged hat-- Reddish brown eyes were staring lifelessly out at him, not actually seeing him. 

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Deuce assures as he slips out of the truck. Already, he’s calling for his partner to get the ambulance ready and head out. If Ace would not answer, he would go to him. He can see Sabo hurrying to follow, turning on him again to add: “Stay here!” That was like asking the  _ Sun _ to stop shining. “Stay here, alright? I’ll bring him back to you!” 

Indignantly, Sabo clenched his fists and watched as the ambulance skidded out and rushed away. What Deuce didn’t know was that Sabo knew exactly where the attack was happening. He whipped out his phone, calling for an Uber. There was no way in hell that he would sit back and let Ace die. If there was any chance of saving him, he would. 

* * *

The outskirts of the camping grounds were a lot more inviting than the reality it hid within its snowy confines. Hopping the gate, Sabo’s boots sunk in ankle deep, trudging through the freezing cold. He paused in sudden consideration that-- He had  _ no idea _ where the cabin was actually located. Just how was he supposed to find Ace, if he was hopelessly lost in the many winding trails? With no one around to ask for directions, he had two options: Wait here and feel sorry for himself, or get moving and hope he takes the right direction. With renewed vigor and a shake of his head, he makes up his mind. It was not the smartest idea to wander around with a monster on the loose and no real way to defend himself. If he happened to get attacked out here, no one would know about it. Would anyone even hear him scream? 

The thought brings a new wave of grief with it. No one would hear Ace scream either. He was out here, all alone if that vision really was becoming a reality. Cold, alone, agonized-- What was he thinking? What terrible thoughts were plaguing his mind? 

No, he can’t dwell on the  _ what if’s _ . The more upset he is, the less focus he becomes, and the campgrounds are dark with danger lurking just out of sight. He is torn between calling for his lover in the hopes of finding him quicker and keeping his mouth shut to avoid unwanted attention. 

A once lively and exciting place had turned dull and dreary, just like everything else. He and Ace had spent many a weekend out here before, wrapped up in each other’s embrace. Warm nights were shared in one of the many rental cabins, indulging the other, showered in love and feeling oh so alive. Winter turned this place into a wonderland. He and Ace would often chase each other, throwing snowballs and making snowmen together. Deuce was pulled into their antics sometimes, as well. Now, he hardly recognized the place of so many fond memories, shrouded in a dark magic that soured its atmosphere and spoiled it right to the core. Eerie sounds of a monstrous presence echoed around them, too far away to pinpoint an exact location. The noises traveled on the wind, whipping around him and tugging at his soul in the worst possible way. 

In a sense, he felt compelled to venture deeper. Something was calling out, that much was certain. Something beckoned him forward with the promise of blessings to come and dreams made true. Sabo knew, all too well, that dreams were not always a good thing-- for nightmares were dreams in their own right. As he searched in damning quiet, the haunting stillness of the campgrounds was interrupted by the crackling of fire and a hopefulness in the blonde’s pursuits. He quickened his pace, fighting against biting cold until he reached the clearing of the pyre, the dead bodies, the abandoned fire truck. For a moment, he foolishly believed that he reached the location before Deuce, until he noticed the tracks in the snow leading in exactly the same direction he had taken in his vision. 

His body protested, exhausted from the shock and strain alike, but Sabo was determined and jogged after the tracks. Just as he had seen before: he reached the hat, then the beads, then the clearing itself.

The ambulance was crashed into a large tree, pinning the monstrous beast between the front of the vehicle and the trunk. Sabo felt his stomach twist in despair at Ace’s body laid out in the snow, Deuce crouching over him with a gentle glow of green at his fingertips as he desperately tried to close the open wounds of the fireman’s abdomen. 

_ “My van!!” _ Deuce’s partner wailed as he stumbled out of the totaled vehicle, falling on his ass in the snow. “Deuce, it’s completely totalled! What the hell!?” 

The wendigo was draped over the hood of the car, limp and lifeless. Was it really over? Sabo did not give himself the chance to wonder as he rushed over to Ace’s side. Deuce bared his teeth in frustration. “I told you to stay!” He spat, venom dropping in his voice. 

“I couldn’t,” Sabo panted the words between labored breaths. “I knew this would happen. I knew it…” 

By now, the other paramedic was stumbling over, brushing snow off his pants. He gave Ace’s body a quick look before biting back his sharp inhale. “He needs a hospital… Now.” That much was obvious, but not an option they could take. 

“We can’t,” Deuce breathed out, hunching his shoulders in an attempt to hide the magic radiating off his fingers. He was never open about  _ what _ he was exactly. He and Ace had spent too much energy in trying to hide among humans, pretending to  _ be _ humans. Now, it could all come apart if his partner chose to react poorly. 

“Why the hell not!?” The other paramedic’s voice raised. “He’s gonna die! That thing disemboweled him, he--” The sudden stop, the catch of his breath, and finally an understanding clicked into place. The other paramedic took a step back, holding himself a little straighter, his head a little higher. “He’s one of them,” he stated in a matter-of-fact tone before his eyes fell to Deuce’s hands. “ _ You’re _ one of them.” Then, the slew of inquiries followed: “What is he--? What are  _ you _ , Deuce!?” 

And when no answer came, the biting recognition. “At least you’re both one of the  _ Good _ ones.”

Sabo couldn’t listen to it anymore. He grabbed the other man by the collar of his shirt and shoved him back violently.  _ “Stop it.” _ He had no right to talk about either Deuce nor Ace in such a fashion… but especially not Ace. “Of all the khutspe--” He denied himself whatever outrage the man clearly deserved, prioritizing Ace over justified anger as he dropped to his knees beside Deuce. “I know what that thing is. Dragon can help, he knows a lot about--”

“--I know what it is!” Deuce felt more defensive than anything else. While it was not the first time he had been around such small-minded vitriol towards all things magically inclined, it  _ was _ the first time he was personally subjected to it. The blue-haired man had done well to hide himself and his magic from the prying eyes of the human world, knowing just what hatred was hidden behind childlike curiosity and pure, idiotic fear. Sabo fell silent in the wake of his friend’s outburst, his shoulders slumping in defeat before his gaze fell to Ace.

Was he even alive? 

“Ace…” Sabo’s voice softened. “Can you hear me…?” Now that he was so close, Sabo was able to get a really good look at the state of his lover. It was just as he remembered: battered and beaten, bruises already forming on tanned skin. His abdomen had been ripped open by the teeth of the monster, and by the red snow stained beneath? He knows with certainty that his back was in no better shape. What he could not see was the bite hidden beneath the tears in Ace’s work pants, the true seal of fate for the freckled man he loved. 

“He’s out of it,” Deuce explained softly. “We have to move him.” He turned an expectant blue gaze to his partner then, and found relief when the man nodded in understanding. He reconsidered his position in his silence, or made his peace with his partner being  _ one of them _ . Deuce had only ever done right by the residents of this town, and did not deserve any of his prejudice.

“I’ll call for back-up,” the other paramedic announced, stepping away to get on the radio. His emergency call was suddenly disrupted by a deafening scream which shook the trees and shattered the glass of the ambulance. The wendigo beast had clawed his way up onto the hood of the van, climbing up top before screaming again. The noise echoed, reverberating off the trees and cutting right through the small group. Sabo felt blood trickling out of his ears, throwing his hands over in an attempt to protect his hearing. The radio was dropped suddenly, the partner dropping to his knees in pain. 

Sabo stumbled behind Deuce, planting himself between his lover and the monster that had mauled him. “I’ll protect you,” he grounds the words out between clenched teeth. “Just go…” 

“Oh no.” Deuce was able to bounce back a little easier. “You’re coming with us.” His hands were shakily grabbing Ace up, urging his partner to return and help him hoist the fireman off the snow. “No one’s left behind-- and you can’t fight that thing anyway!”

“I can keep it off you, though!” Sabo protested. 

“Just keep up!” The other paramedic spat back as they began carrying Ace back the way they came. 

If there was a fight expected from the wendigo, Sabo would find himself severely disappointed as the beast fled among the trees and disappeared within the shadows. His scrambling and clawing about echoed all around them in a haunting ambiance of imminent death. 

Sabo could barely hear the beast over the rapid pounding of his heart. A sudden thought crossed his mind, and he hurries to Deuce’s side. “A death spirit!” He had almost forgotten. “How do I get in contact with one? A death spirit can help him! Tell me how I--”

“Not  _ now! _ ” Deuce snarled, his hair bristling in rage. Sabo fell in behind them, running a hand through Ace’s hair, unable to keep his hands away from his lover. By the time they reached the clearing, the cabin had burned to ashes and help arrived. Deuce took the weight of Ace’s body all on his own as his partner hurried to his fellow firemen. 

“A bear!” He exclaimed. “A freaking  _ bear _ attacked them!” It was the only logical explanation for what he had seen back there. 

Deuce, on the other hand, was not about to wait around and expose Ace’s identity to anyone else. He acted quickly, slipping Ace into the back seat of his abandoned firetruck. “Get in,” he ordered to Sabo. “Call Marco, tell him to meet us at your house. He can help!” If anyone had stronger healing magic, it would be a phoenix. Sabo wastes no time, hopping in and settling between the seats while Deuce took the driver’s side and peeled away from the sight of the attack. 

* * *

“These wounds are angry-yoi.” 

Marco had been trying for an hour since they got back. Ace was draped across the couch in the front room of his and Sabo’s home. Deuce had managed to peel away his work coat, leaving the work pants and underclothes beneath. Such awful wounds were much worse up close, with black infection already beginning to fester around the edges of the gashes along his abdomen. No matter what Marco did, he could not combat the awful infection or even close the wounds themselves. He tried his damnedest, exerted so much energy, and all for naught. 

“Angry?” Sabo was starting to fear the worst. “What do you mean? Do you-- do you need some sage, or something?”

“It doesn’t work like that-yoi,” Marco regretted to inform. 

“Then  _ what!? _ ” Sabo’s voice raised in desperation and anger. “He’s just gonna die then!? After everything we did-- It was all for nothing!?” His blue eyes shifted to Ace. He had visibly paled since the attack, from shock and blood-loss alike. Hair framed the side of his face from sweat, caked down by blood and melted snow, and his breathing was light and fast. Unresponsive, possibly dying-- Sabo’s focus ripped away to yell again. “We have to do something!”

“Sabo.” Marco’s tone was grave and unyielding when he spoke. “You’re uninformed and new to this. Wendigo bites are  _ always _ fatal-yoi.” 

The reveal hung heavily in the space between human and phoenix alike. Sabo felt his breath catch in his throat, feeling like the world was crashing down around him and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Ace’s life was slipping through his fingers and the tighter he held, the faster it slipped away. Even Deuce was choked up, unwilling to accept this fate. “No--  _ No _ . That’s only for humans,” he protested. “That’s just for humans, and Ace isn’t  _ completely _ human.” 

“You’re right-yoi…” Marco conceded. “But that just means we have  _ no idea _ what will happen. He could die from his injuries, or succumb to the infection.” 

“Infection? This  _ isn’t  _ a bite!” Deuce pointed to the gashes.

In response, Marco pulled the heavy, yellow pants down and revealed a deep bite in Ace’s right thigh. The punctures were completely black, heated and festering already, leaving Ace weak. Deuce felt his breath catch then, staring with wide, blue eyes. He was at a loss for words all of a sudden, seeing the severity of Ace’s injuries now laid out perfectly before him. “This is why his wounds won’t heal-yoi.”

“Does that mean… he’s going to turn into one of those things?” Sabo choked out, covering his mouth with one hand to muffle a sob. 

“He could. Or he could still die from his wounds-yoi.” The phoenix turned a serious glare to their blonde companion, wanting him to understand just how hopeless this might be. “He’s suffering, Sabo. If this gets any worse, we may have to consider…  _ ending _ this-yoi.” 

_ Ending it _ . There was no room for misunderstanding, but Sabo knew he could  _ never _ pull the plug on Ace. He had never seen him so defeated before, never thought it possible with how strong his lover had always been. One run-in with a wendigo now had him on death’s doorstep, and his chances of survival were bleak at best. 

“If you want to try, you’ll have to tend to his wounds every morning and every night. I can show you everything you’ll need to know-yoi.”

“I’ll tend every  _ hour _ if that’s what he needs,” Sabo assures. “And I  _ won’t _ let him die. If we can’t save him, I’ll  _ find _ a way that will.” He was not going to let Ace die.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Clean, stitch, bandage. Blood soaked, blackened, feverish. Clean, stitch, bandage, repeat. 

Classes went on hold. Sabo called into work once, then completely abandoned his job as a server at a local sports bar. Day in and day out, he stayed with Ace. Pepper knew something  _ evil _ had taken hold of her master and kept her distance. She growled at first, baring her teeth at him, only for Sabo to try coaxing her closer and ultimately failing. She and Liberty both refused to enter the front room, which had turned into Ace’s personal care room. Deuce and Marco would sometimes come by to help, but Sabo was on his own for the most part. Bringing Ace to a hospital would guarantee his death. They would know  _ what _ he was, turn him in to the government-- and then it was all over. Bringing him back from the brink rested solely in Sabo’s hands, but he felt nowhere near capable of doing what he must to ensure his lover did not leave him. 

The Fire Chief came by at some point, demanding answers on why Ace was left to suffer this horrible fate. The last thing Sabo  _ ever _ wanted to do was  _ out _ his lover, but he saw no other option. The Chief scoffed and left without uttering another word. Sabo had never felt so abandoned before, as he did now. Ace had cultivated his reputation as a local hero within the city, but now all that love was seemingly lost in the curiosities of those around him. Desperate to maintain the hard work his lover had put into his image (for Ace had always strived to be  _ more _ than just  _ Keet’s son _ in this world), Sabo fell into willful isolation. The curtains were always pulled, and he only ever left the house in absolute necessity.

The last thing he wanted was to return home and find Ace had drowned in his own blood or slipped away in his absence. It was a miserable existence still, dodging curious journalists to maintain a secret no one deserved to know. Let the rest of the world believe he was recovering from a bear attack if they must, but they could  _ never _ know what really happened. 

His nights were even worse. Sabo deprived himself of a good night’s rest to stay near Ace, burning himself out. Dark circles formed around his eyes as exhaustion beckoned him into sleep, sleep that he could not indulge. Ace, when he was awake and coherent enough, could see the pitiful mess that had become his lover and he hated himself for it. “You need rest,” he insisted in his breathy, soft tone. 

Sabo would grab one of his hands, running his fingers through messy black hair in reassurance. “I’m okay,” but Ace knew it was a lie. “I have to make sure  _ you’ll _ be okay.” Ace was toeing the line of death here, after all. Just because he was part-magical being did not mean he was immortal, or invincible. For once, Sabo wished his lover had the strength to argue back. It would have been a clear sign of improvement over his  _ acceptance _ of that answer. That night was especially rough as it dragged on to the early hours of the morning. As three o’clock rolled around, the blonde suddenly realized how  _ silent _ the world had grown around him. Sitting beside the couch, he straightened up. Another thing he realized was just how  _ sore _ he had become, sitting in the same spot for so long, and on the hardwood floor to boot. He stretched, trying to ignore the dull ache in his body as he  _ listened _ for the usual ambiance of life around them. Since his childhood, Sabo knew all too well that when the world grew  _ silent? _ Something was near. 

That something was not _always_ _good_ either. 

He would not notice the sudden frost on the windows, spreading across quicker than mother nature would ever cause. He tensed at the scraping along the rooftop, pressing the back of his knees against the couch cushions as he stared up at the ceiling.  _ Was it a spirit? _ Or, perhaps it was that monster come to finish the job. Suddenly, Sabo could hear his heartbeat echoing in his ears with how  _ violent _ and heavy it sounded in his chest. He wished it would quiet down, wished he could calm himself,  _ wished that whatever happened nearby would just leave them be _ . Ace suffered enough already, without the interference of the magical world at their sanctuary. Lest this visitor came to  _ heal _ , which Sabo sincerely doubted, then he wanted no part of whatever game it was trying to play. Despite his growing concern, he found himself at a loss for words. Breaking the silence was like an open invitation to whatever lie beyond their walls, now scraping along the sides of their home. Sabo could feel his gut knotting terribly, torn between rushing to the kitchen for salt and staying beside Ace just in case that monster got in. His feet were rooted to the ground, hands clenching at his sides.  _ Go away _ . His blue eyes closed tightly, head bowing as he reached a hand back for Ace’s form. As long as he was still alive, still  _ breathing _ , then he had a chance. 

Something loud suddenly crashed against the nearby window, shaking Sabo from his stupor. He turned with wide eyes, in time to see the body of an animal slipping down and leaving a generous trail of blood behind. This was no friendly spirit come calling, but a monster. Was it  _ the _ monster? 

“Go away!” Sabo found his voice as he rushed the window, pulling the curtains that should have been closed already. Wait-- how did they even get open in the first place? 

He can hear Pepper and Liberty barking from further in the house, angry and aggressive, but he could not risk leaving Ace’s side. He calls for his daughters, his body shaking in anger, desperation, and fear all mixed in a terrible brew. The blood was rushing to his head, his vision starting to blacken around the edges. Everything was too bright, too  _ slow _ as he turned his head to see the curtains had flung open again. Beyond the glass, the frost, and blood were glowing eyes staring right back at him before the beast climbed the wall and jumped upon the roof. The winds were howling outside, drowning out any noise from the beast all of a sudden as the silence shattered all together. Sabo’s knees gave out beneath him, and he slumped against Ace’s body in his own exhaustion. Despite his heavy eyelids  _ demanding _ sleep, he struggled to stay awake through the remainder of the night. 

His relief came in the form of Deuce the next morning, as the sun had already risen and the paramedic was relieved of his overnight shift. He came to visit as he usually did, and was mortified to see Sabo in such a state. However, whatever he said in his sudden panic was lost to the blonde. He was relieved to see someone else, someone he could trust, and finally let himself slip away into much needed sleep. 

“You idiot…” Deuce swore to himself, finding Sabo unresponsive and passed out from exhaustion. “You keep this up and you’re gonna die.” He doesn’t know why he bothers chastising the man already passed out, slipping an arm under the blonde as he tries to pull his body away. Even in his sleep tough, Sabo refused to leave Ace’s side and clung to his lover in his own unconsciousness. It took quite a bit of patience and strength for Deuce to finally pry Sabo away and lay him down on a chair nearby. He knew better than to bring him to his room, lest he should awaken and not see Ace immediately. He was running himself ragged though, and Deuce realized that he could not let this continue. 

* * *

When Sabo awoke the the smell of food cooking, his heart soared.  _ Ace was alright! _ His eyes flew open as he sat up a little too quickly for his own good, stopping short when he found that his lover was still confined to the couch. Then, his heart sunk with dread.  _ Was that monster in his home!? _ With careful steps, the blonde padded to the kitchen in hopes of catching his intruder off guard. He barely stepped in before Deuce spoke up: “You can’t sneak up on me, Sabo. I sensed you comin’.” Relief washed over him again as his body relaxed and he slowly made his way over to the paramedic.

“Deuce…” He would never admit how badly he had longed for another set of hands to help around here, especially since his friend had already done  _ so much _ . “Is that… bacon? You know I can’t--”

“Turkey bacon,” the dolphin spirit interjected as he set the strips of meat on a plate alongside hashbrowns and boiled eggs. “Go lie down. You about gave me a heart attack when I came in this morning!”

It took maybe a minute or two, and lots of shoving from Deuce to get Sabo back in the chair, before he remembered what exactly the paramedic was talking about. “I think… I had a bad dream.” There was no way any of it was real, right? “I thought I saw the monster.” Wouldn’t it come barging through his home for Ace, though? Wait-- “Liberty… Pepper! Where are they!?”

“Relax, they’re outside.” What he said before was most concerning to Deuce. “You saw… the wendigo?” Even if it was only a dream, it was still the monster. Deuce knew very little of them, having never had to deal with one himself, but he knew that to dream of a wendigo was to run the risk of  _ inviting one in _ . They had strong magic, and what they were dealing with specifically only seemed that much  _ worse _ than what he knew. But how could he fight something that would invade their dreams too? Wait… wasn’t there a horror movie based specifically around that? “What’s that… movie...?” He mumbles to himself as he returns to the kitchen, snapping his fingers as if that would bring some clarity back. 

Sabo, unwilling to stay down for long, was up once more and attempting to fuss over Ace. Was he still breathing? Yes. Bandages need changed, as always. He  _ prayed _ for the day those wounds would suddenly close up, but with each passing? His hope grew faint and bleak. “Movie?” He echoes, not believing that Deuce was bringing up  _ fiction _ now. If it was something scary and dream-related though… “Do you mean  _ Nightmare on Elm Street _ ?” He raised a brow. Was this sleep deprivation getting to him? 

“That’s it!” Deuce exclaimed happily, clapping his hands together.    
Sabo suddenly  _ wished _ it was the sleep deprivation then. “What’s Freddy Krueger got to do with anything?”

It takes every ounce of willpower the paramedic has to not shove the plate into Sabo’s hands. He gently offers the breakfast over, then shuffles the blonde away so he can focus on Ace instead. “It’s kinda similar-- y’know, attack you in your dreams type of deal? If you dream of a wendigo, then you  _ invite _ the wendigo in, even if y’don’t mean to.” 

Well, that perfectly  _ killed _ Sabo’s appetite. “You mean… He can get at us, still?” He despairs, unable to hold back his own emotions wavering his tone. 

Deuce turned in time to see the  _ look _ written across Sabo’s face and instantly regretted saying anything at all. The man was already running himself ragged. How dare he make this worse? “Listen…” He did not bother stopping his work, seeing how Ace was still in critical condition. “We’ll figure something out, okay?” Sabo  _ really _ didn’t need to be on his own anymore, left to care for Ace while running himself into the ground. That may be just what the monster wanted anyway. 

“What about… another spirit?” 

That brought him pause, but only for a second longer before he continued his work again. “What about another spirit?” Between the phoenix and the dolphin, what more could Sabo ask for? But no, Deuce was not stupid. He knew  _ exactly _ what the blonde wanted. Without letting him explain, Deuce continued insistently: “You can’t summon another spirit here. You don’t know what it’ll want, and it’s too dangerous.” Was that not obvious enough, in light of their current struggles? “Besides… Ace is… Keet’s son. You don’t know who Keet pissed off. You might bring someone who  _ hates _ him here, and that-- that won’t help  _ anyone _ .” 

“I have to try something! I won’t let him  _ die _ .” 

“I  _ know _ .” 

“Then why!?” Sabo’s voice raised. He jumped to his feet, stomping down and clenching his fists at his sides. “Why can’t I do anything!? Why can’t we help him, Deuce!? Why do I have to play by these damn rules when the rest of the world skirts by with whatever the want!? You think it’s easy for me!? Day-in and day-out, I have to watch the man I love waste away in our home when he should be with me! Helping take care of the dogs, or coming back from work with that stupid smile on his face that I miss!” His anger was suddenly consumed with so much fear, so much anguish as tears prickled at his eyes. Sabo felt all the more frustrated at tearing up. His chest burned, but he felt like no one was doing  _ enough _ . 

_ Itsappe. Itsappe. _ Why couldn’t they reach out to him? That was the name of the wolf-- no, coyote. It was a coyote, right? He can’t even remember anymore. “A spirit helped us out when we were younger! Why can’t I ask for his help again!?”

There was a pause, as if expecting Sabo to continue on. He had been holding so much back. It was only normal, only  _ healthy _ that he would suddenly have an explosion after so much weight had borne down upon his shoulders for so long. Deuce could never blame him for his outburst. He spoke calmly, holding a hand up as he pulled away from Ace’s bandages. “Children are different, Sabo. Most spirits will help children, free of charge… You don’t know what any spirit will ask for, now. And I doubt Ace wants to wake up and find you  _ gone _ .” It was hard to think rationally, when it felt like the world was falling apart around him. The dolphin decided that he shouldn’t be on his own anymore. “Let me stay here and help you. This is too much, for one person on their own.” 

* * *

The days got easier, when Deuce was around. Work still beckoned him away, but he would not leave Sabo on his own any longer. He would go  _ mad _ with grief, if left to his own devices any longer. To combat that, Marco would come to help during Deuce’s shifts. Sometimes, Izo was there too. For a while, it seemed as if Ace was going to get better. He had gained consciousness for a while, sometimes an hour or two a day. Food was off the table, but there were other ways to get him what he needed. 

He may just bounce back, but that was what the monster  _ wanted _ everyone to believe. 

One stormy night changed everything. Neither Marco or Izo could get there to help Sabo, leaving him on his own. Unwilling to leave Ace and Sabo unguarded, one of the fire-trucks had pulled into the front yard with two willing volunteers to keep guard during the night. 

But Sabo paid little attention with Ace’s condition taking a turn for the worst. His temperature had  _ spiked _ . Sweat left a sheen over his body, plastering his hair against his face. The open wounds on his abdomen were slowly turning black, similar to the bite on his leg. Sabo couldn’t seem to keep up, getting ice around him in an attempt to bring his temperature down. It all seemed to melt around him far too quickly, and the blonde was growing desperate. He bit back a sob as he assured, “You’re okay, Ace. You’re gonna be okay...!” He wouldn’t believe that he would lose his lover tonight.  _ Couldn’t _ . 

Pepper and Liberty sat nearby, huddling together and shaking. Was it the storm, or something else? 

“Stay with me.” Shaking hands cupped freckled cheeks as Sabo pleaded through his sobs. “Just stay with me, alright?” He could hold Ace over until the morning, when Deuce returned. 

A loud screeching from outside cause Sabo to jump, his whole body going rigid. An immediate reaction caused him to shield Ace with his body, staring in the direction of the sound-- like metal tearing and straining under some awful force. 

His heart was pounding again. Wide eyes and body shaking, he took in a gasping breath when Ace suddenly shifted beneath him and whined ever so pitifully. Thinking nothing of it, Sabo returned to his lover again. “Ace?” Surely that was a good sign, right? “Ace, come back to me, okay?”

_ “Sabo…”  _

His heart soared, just hearing his name from his lover’s lips. That was a good sign, right? It had to be. He was coherent enough to know that, no matter what, Sabo would be around. The blonde was with him right now! “I’m here,” he answers quickly. “I’m here, I’m here.” 

Reddish brown eyes crack open, bleary and unfocused at first. Another soft sound escaped Ace’s lips, and he squirmed again in an attempt to get himself comfortable, trying to alleviate his agony and ultimately failing. There was no escape, but something was beckoning him away-- calling for him. He could feel the surge in his body, feel the magic trying to whisk him away. 

The winds kicked up again, outside. Ice started to frost over the windows once again, spreading far too quickly and blinding them from any outside view. All that could be seen was a pair of glowing eyes just beyond the glass, staring in right at Sabo and Ace alike. Pepper and Liberty were snarling and growling, backing away with their fur bristling. 

It was back.  _ The monster was here _ . 

“No…!” It wasn’t fair! Sabo kept himself over Ace, fingers tangling in his hair protectively.  _ This wasn’t fair! _ He was  _ just _ getting his lover back, now the beast had come to take him away. “I won’t let you!” The blonde spat back. “I won’t let you have him.” This was a dream, like last time. It  _ had to be _ . 

But no. 

This time, the monster climbed up to the roof and scrambled with scurrying and claws scraping. The front door was flung open, letting in the wind and the cold. Snow burst forth, covering the entrance and clinging to the door, the walls, the ceiling alike. And the head of the beast peered down from above, climbing in with his claws sinking into the ceiling. 

It was real, and it was  _ here  _ for Ace.

**Author's Note:**

> **Jek: spirits of nature ie trees, rivers, etcs


End file.
